Meat

Quick and Easy Meatball Subs

| mrscheryllacy

I was recently in a car accident (the guy behind me used my car to help him stop at a red light) and didn’t feel much like cooking over the next couple of days. Then I remembered some items I already had in my pantry, freezer and frig; voila, quick and easy meatball subs were born. All I needed was some hot dog buns from the store. What I love most about meatball subs is a flavorful meatball, good sauce and a limited amount of cheese. What I dislike the most is getting a sub that is ridiculously huge that you cannot pick it up and one that has so much cheese you can never be sure if or where the meatballs are. This recipe solves those issues and makes them friendly for kids as well. Enjoy.

Ingredients20160320_191833

  • Frozen meatballs (brand of your choice)
  • Spaghetti sauce (again, use your favorite)
  • Mozzarella cheese
  • Parmesan cheese
  • Hot dog buns

Instructions

  • Heat over to 375 degrees.
  • Heat the meatballs. If you are using the ones I did from Trader Joe’s, place them in a microwave safe dish and heat on high for 4 minutes.
  • While meatballs are cooking, warm up some spaghetti sauce on the oven/stove top.
  • Take the meatballs out of the microwave and cut each one in half.
  • Place foil on a cookie sheet.
  • Put hot dog buns on cookie sheet (I used 4, one for me, one for my 5-year old, and two for my husband, but please make however many you need).
  • With small spoon, put a small amount (drizzle) of sauce in the bottom of the bun.
  • Then place 4 halves of the meatballs down the center. Alternate sides (the cut side against the bread) for a better fit and to keep them from sliding.
  • Add sauce to the top and sides, coating well.
  • Add chunks of mozzarella cheese and some grated parmesan.
  • Place in heated oven for 5 minutes.
  • Change over to broil and watch closely until cheese is nicely melted and buns are browned.

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Ideas

  • Some frozen meatballs are very well flavored, the ones I show from Trader Joe’s are particularly tasty. I highly recommend them.
  • Note: this is a “quick and easy” recipe. If you have the time, feel free to make your meatballs from scratch.
  • You can skip the broil part, but it adds a nice touch. Also, browning the roll keeps it from getting soggy.
  • You’ll note that some of the ingredients in the image above are empty – I forgot to take the picture first. Sorry about that.

Lasagna with Meat and Vegetables

| mrscheryllacy

Ah, lasagna. One word that evokes childhood and delicious smells from the kitchen. And also, that rascal, Garfield the cat, always stealing lasagna from his person, Jon. This is one of those relatively simple meals that is always good, but difficult to make outstanding. My husband’s favorite Italian dish is lasagna. After tasting this version of my lasagna, he dubbed it “better than anything he’d ever had in a restaurant” so I figured I had gotten this right and wouldn’t tinker with the recipe anymore. Follow the instructions below and you’ll be the beneficiary of a couple years (OK, while it took a couple of years, I only made lasagna twice a year) of tinkering. Happy cooking and eating.

Ingredients20150923_190305

  • 15 oz of ricotta cheese
  • 1-1/4 cups parmesan reggiano cheese
  • 1/3 cup minced fresh basil
  • 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1-1/2 jars of spaghetti sauce
  • 1 package of no-boil lasagna noodles
  • 1 pound shredded mozzarella
  • 1 lb of ground beef
  • 2 tsp minced garlic
  • 1/2 T olive oil
  • 8 medium mushrooms
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • Italian spices

Instructions – Getting the Mixes Ready

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  • Put a medium or large skillet on the stovetop over medium heat. Add the ground beef and brown.
  • Add the garlic after beef has been cooking for about 3-4 minutes. Mix well.
  • Once beef is nicely browned, turn off heat.
  • Add 1 cup of spaghetti sauce to the ground beef and mix well.

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  • While the beef is cooking, in separate skillet, add about 1/2 T of olive oil and cook for about 2 minutes over medium heat.
  • Add the onions and cook for another ~3 minutes.
  • Add the mushrooms, 1/2 tsp salt and 1 tsp italian spices and cook until the mushrooms are slightly softened, about another 2-3 minutes. Turn off heat.
  • Add the onion and mushrooms to the beef and mix well.

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  • While you are waiting for the beef and vegetables to cook, in a large bowl, mix the ricotta, 1 cup of the parmesan cheese, basil, parsley, egg, salt and pepper until combined well.

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Instructions – Layering the Lasagna

  • In a 9×13″ baking dish, place 1/4 cup of spaghetti sauce and spread over the bottom.
  • Place 3 lasagna noodles over the sauce.
  • Drop 3 T of the ricotta mixture over the center of each noodle, then spread it so it’s thickness is even.

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  • Drop a similar amount of the meat and vegetable mixture over the ricotta mix and spread evenly.
  • Sprinkle 1 cup mozzarella cheese over the top.
  • Spoon about 1-1/2 cups of spaghetti sauce over the cheese.

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  • Cover with 3 noodles.
  • Repeat until there are 3 layers of filling/4 layers of noodles.
  • After 4th layer of noodles is placed, spread the remaining sauce (~1-1/4 cups) over the noodles.
  • Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheeses over the sauce.
  • Sprinkle the top with italian spices.

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Instructions – Cooking the Lasagna

  • Lightly spray a piece of tin foil with oil.
  • Place foil over lasagna filled baking dish and place into preheated oven in center rack.
  • Cook for 15 minutes.
  • Remove foil and cook an additional 15 minutes.
  • Let rest for at least 5 minutes after removing from oven before serving.

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Ideas

  • Ricotta cheese – the whole milk version is the best. Heck, you’re splurging and eating lasagna with all that cheese. Don’t get ricotta that isn’t made from whole milk.
  • Parmesan cheese – you can use regular parmesan, and that’ll be just fine. BUT, if you are a Costco member, I highly recommend you get some Parmigiano Reggiano.
  • Spaghetti sauce – as with so many recipes, the key is to make some things easier or, frankly, you just won’t find the time to cook them. You can make your own tomato sauce, and if you like to do this, by all means, go ahead. As for me (and on a weeknight), I trust Trader Joe’s marinara sauce.
  • Ground beef – choose beef that is at least 85% lean. My preference is 90%. You don’t want to be draining oil from the pan if you don’t have to.

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Super Easy Baby Back Ribs

| mrscheryllacy

Everyone has their own favorite rib recipe and I must admit, the ones I’ve tried are pretty amazing. That being said, they take hours to make and if people aren’t careful, can be a bit dry. What if you could make ribs in under one hour that the meat just barely stayed on the bone until you got the rib to your mouth and were super moist? Oh yeah, and only uses about 5 things? Yes, I’m not kidding. Unlike others, I almost exclusively cook ribs during the week after a full day of work. And no, I’m not crazy, this recipe is just super easy. Oh, that’s right – I said that in the recipe name already.

Ingredients

  • Olive oil20150809_174213
  • 3 lbs of baby back ribs
  • Dry rub of your choice
  • Barbecue sauce of your choice
  • Can of beer, whatever you happen to have around the house
  • Pressure cooker

Instructions

  • Assuming you got your ribs in a nice long strip, rinse first and then cut them apart.
  • Dry with a paper towel.
  • Put your favorite dry rub on them.
  • While preparing the ribs for cooking, put about 2T off olive oil in your heated up pressure cooker.
  • Once oil is ready, add ribs to pressure cooker and brown. Flip over to brown other side. Takes about 4-5 minutes per side. And you have to cook in 2 batches.
  • Take the first batch out and let cool on a plate. Add more oil, let it warm and then add the rest of the ribs and brown.

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Lovely and all browned
  • Once all the ribs are browned and removed from the pressure cooker, add an insert (most come with one, but not all. See Ideas if you don’t have one.)
  • Now open your beer and pour about 8-10 oz into the pressure cooker. Put aside.
  • Layer the ribs into the pressure cooker. Put the lid on and lock into place.

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  • Bring to high pressure and cook on high for approximately 32 minutes.
  • Drink the rest of the beer.
  • After 32 minutes have passed, turn off the pressure cooker and let the pressure come down for 15 minutes.
  • After 15 minutes, release any remaining pressure and open the lid.
  • Remove the ribs.
  • Two choices now:
    1. Put on the table now for eating with a side of sauce so people can choose how much (or how little) they want. This is what I do.
    2. Remove insert, empty out about 90% of the remaining liquid *remaining liquid is shown in the middle image belwo). Add your favorite barbeque sauce, about 1 inch thick. Put the ribs back in and heat until bubbling up; about 5 minutes. Then serve.

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Ideas

  • Use an inexpensive beer and make sure it’s nice and cold. Now having it cold will actually take longer for your pressure cooker to reach high pressure, but who wants to drink a warm beer?
  • Pressure cookers – I’ve used both traditional and electric. As you can see from my pictures, I use an electric pressure cooker now. The reviews will tell you that they do not have the capacity of a traditional stove top one, which is true, but the capacity is just fine for your standard 4-5 person family. Other benefits of electric: you don’t have to guess if it’s reached high pressure. As soon as it has, it will start the timer countdown. It takes the guess work out of cooking with one and, most importantly, the concern. I remember being a bit afraid of my grandmother’s traditional pressure cooker. I know there’s no reason to be afraid of my traditional one either, but my electric one is used almost exclusively because it’s just so easy.
  • Insert – If your pressure cooker didn’t come with an insert or if you misplaced the one that did, just use a vegetable steamer. They are inexpensive and easy to find. However, make sure it can handle the high pressure and heat so I don’t recommend one that isn’t metal.
  • Rub – I put the rub on one side of the ribs. Once I add the ribs to the pressure cooker, I
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    Releasing the steam

    dust the other side with rub.

  • Releasing pressure – I use the back end of my tongs to push the release mechanism to the side.
  • Cooking time – I’ve found that 30 minutes isn’t enough and 35 minutes is too much; the meat just falls off the bone completely.
  • Sides – Even though my picture shows mashed potatoes and a nice caprese salad (it’s summer and I have some great tomatoes in my yard), I normally serve my ribs with a delicious homemade potato salad (I’ll post this recipe soon) and a nice ear of corn. But as always, whatever you prefer.

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